Network time slotted protocols are widely used to establish communications between network nodes utilizing a predictable time frame slotting technique for nodes to communicate, where each network node communicates according to predefined slots. Such protocols provide scheduled, contention-free channel access to improve throughput performance compared to carrier sense techniques. These protocols are often employed in the formation of ad hoc wireless communications networks, for example. Ad hoc wireless communications networks are formed dynamically as nodes come within range of existing network resources. These networks may be utilized in many applications to provide communications between lower level devices on the networks such as sensors and upper tier devices communicating with the sensors.
In some applications, routing protocols are created that define relationships in the network and how the network operates as conditions change. For example, each node within the network can have a preferred parent node that it can communicate in an upwards direction and possibly having multiple child nodes for downward communications. The parent nodes are sometimes referred to as a root node or intermediate node and the child nodes are sometimes referred to as leaf nodes.